We just made it through Christmas and New Year’s, but we have already seen flakes flying and ice falling from the sky in Elkin and Jonesville, North Carolina. Residents of the foothills know that winter can wreak havoc on a vehicle.
Surry County receives about 10 inches of snow each year on average, but some winters bring multiple rounds of snow and ice. We have been known to experience blizzard conditions. Elkin and Jonesville also deal with bouts of sleet and freezing rain that can seemingly come out of nowhere. Temperatures dip below freezing about 70 times each year, but once in a while, we can’t see the mercury dip below zero.
You never know what Old Man Winter will have in store for us here in Jonesville, so it is up to you to make sure your vehicle is ready for anything. There are some things, however, that your car is not going to survive if you don’t tend to it immediately. Here are 6 immediate fixes you need to make for your car to survive winter.
Antifreeze is an additive that lowers the freezing point of a water-based liquid. An antifreeze mixture is used to reach freezing-point depression for cold environments and increases the boiling point of the liquid, allowing higher coolant temperature.
Water has good properties as a coolant and with antifreeze, it is used in internal combustion engines and other heat transfer applications. The purpose of antifreeze is to prevent a rigid enclosure from bursting due to expansion when water freezes. Most automotive engines are water-cooled to remove waste heat and its primary function of convective heat transfer for internal combustion engines.
There are different colors of antifreeze that you can use. However, what is the difference between them?
What Does Radiator Fluid Do?
Radiator fluid is commonly known as an antifreeze coolant that is used to help keep your car engine cool. In warm weather, car engines run hot, and without something to alleviate excessive heat generated by the engine, can cause massive problems. Always make sure that your vehicle has the correct amount and type of radiator fluid to help keep your car engine cooler.
You should frequently check the levels of coolant in your car’s radiator and cooling system to ensure everything is in order.
When we fire up the engine to go on a drive, we expect to get where we need to go. Sometimes, we are on our way to work to contribute to our company's success and provide for our families. Other times, we are traveling to meet with family and friends to celebrate milestones and birthdays, comfort the grieving at a memorial service, or cherish the love of two special people at a wedding. Still other times, we are just simply going out to eat, stocking up on groceries, or going on vacation. Regardless of where you are heading, you never expect disaster. We see people stuck on the side of the road all the time, never believing it will happen to them.
What do you do if it does happen to you?
It’s a bright sunny morning, and you are finishing your last sip of coffee before heading to work. When you get into your car and turn the keys to start the ignition, the forbidden clicking noise begins. The engine doesn’t turn on as you grip the steering wheel tightly with your head pressed on the horn. Your car is dead.